London looked through the new outfits that she'd earlier placed in Carey's dressing room. After deciding on which one to wear, she changed and touched up her make-up.
I can't wait for the show to start, she thought excitedly. I wonder if Carey is as anxious about hosting my web show?
I can't wait for this show to start, Carey thought as she sat on London's couch. Because the sooner it starts the sooner it will be over...and I can get these girls out of here!
Since coming upstairs, Carey had been engaging in small talk with Portia and Chelsea while Cody got everything prepared for the webcast. Unfortunately, she wasn't enjoying the conversation at all. The task of pretending to be London kept Carey on edge and unable to relax. And the two rich girls keeping her company were not impressing her as good companions.
To be fair, Chelsea did seem like a sweet girl, but she really was clueless about...well, practically everything. And Portia struck Carey as somewhat snobbish and mean-spirited.
And to think, I have to spend the whole show talking with these two, Carey mused ruefully.
"Will we have to wait much longer?" Portia asked. "You know, if your producer isn't capable of setting up your show on time, you should get a new one."
"Cody is doing just fine," Carey replied, a bit snappish. She didn't like the implied insult to her son. "He's a great producer."
Portia's only reaction was a dismissive laugh. Carey was ready to make an angry response, but Chelsea spoke first.
"London's right. Cody is really good at his job. And it's not easy to do."
Carey smiled slightly at the girl's words. Her opinion of Chelsea rose considerably. But before anything else could be said, Cody approached them and announced that everything was ready to start.
Maddie's shift at the candy counter had ended, but she had decided to hang around the Tipton for the evening. The talk around the hotel was all about Carey's glamorous new look, and some people had heard she was going to be changing her lounge act. Maddie went and got a seat for the first show, curious to see what it would be like. She caught sight of Esteban, who was also done working for the day, and invited him to sit with her.
"Looking forward to seeing your dreamgirl?" Maddie asked in a teasing tone.
"I wish you would not make fun of me," he answered, sounding sad.
Seeing that her friend was down, Maddie changed her tone. "I was just kidding. Is something wrong?"
Esteban seemed conflicted about whether or not to say what was bothering him. Before Maddie could question him further, it was time for the show to start.
"Okay, let's sit back and enjoy the show," said Maddie. "But afterwards we're going to talk more. Agreed?" She flashed a comforting smile to her friend.
"Agreed," he replied.
In Carey's estimation, the web show was running smoothly. The topic of this episode - 'What's hot and what's not' - allowed Portia and Chelsea to talk endlessly about what they liked and didn't like in terms of fashion and entertainment. Carey found it easy to just let them blather on, chiming in only occasionally. She found some of the opinions that the girls expressed troubling, as their tastes seemed to be pretty shallow and superficial. But Carey reminded herself that they were just teenagers, and that she herself had been somewhat shallow at that age.
Seeing Cody signal that it was time to move on to the next subject, Carey got her two guests to stop discussing accessories and spoke.
"Alright, now it's time for something our audience really wants to know about," Carey said as she snuck a peek at the note cards Cody had written for her. "What's hot and what's not in...dating. Let's talk about hat kinds of guys are the best to go out with."
Both Portia and Chelsea immediately began to express their opinions.
Maddie and Esteban were both enjoying the lounge show immensely. The new song choices were great and there was a lot of youthful energy in the show. Maddie thought that the act seemed a little less polished than usual at times...but that was more than made up for by the infectious enthusiasm being displayed. The singer seemed to be having the time of her life on stage.
"She's really on fire," Maddie told Esteban. "I've never seen her like this before."
Esteban made no reply. Maddie took her eyes away from the stage and looked at her friend. He was staring at the singer with a lovestruck expression and it was obvious he hadn't heard a word Maddie had said.
At least he doesn't seem sad anymore, Maddie thought.
While Carey had let Portia and Chelsea dominate the conversation earlier in the show, she couldn't keep quiet after hearing some of their opinions on guys and dating. She tried to inject some good advice into the discussion, pointing out that good boyfriends needed to have more than just good looks going for them.
"I know that," Portia said. "They need money too."
"That's not what I mean," Carey replied. She then tried to bring up important qualities young women should look for in guys, but Portia dismissed Carey's words.
"God London," the arrogant girl finally said. "What does any of that matter? The most important things are looks, money and reputation."
"No, the important things are kindness, consideration, and respect," Carey responded. "Give me a guy who has all that...and throw in a sense of humor...and you'll have a much better date than the empty-headed pretty boys you're describing."
"Why not have a pretty boy who has all that kindness and respect stuff too?" Chelsea asked.
Carey had to smile at that. "Now that's that smartest thing you've said today."
"Ooh, thanks," Chelsea replied happily.
"Oh don't listen to her, Chelsea," Portia said with an annoyed tone. "From the way she's been talking, it's obvious she doesn't know the first thing about what kind of guys to date."
"I know a lot more than you do," Carey replied.
"Please, I'd hate to see your idea of a good date," Portia said disdainfully. "The guys you're describing sound like losers." She glanced over towards Cody. "Like your nerdy producer over there."
Cody frowned but said nothing, willing to let the insult pass.
Carey was not willing.
"You apologize to him this instant!" she told Portia firmly. Her motherly instincts had kicked into in overdrive, and she was not going to let anyone belittle her son.
"Why should I?"
Nervous at the intensity of the moment, Chelsea tried to diffuse the situation. "Um...why don't you just say you're sorry, Portia? Cody's not a bad guy."
"He's a nobody," the arrogant girl responded. "And I don't apologize to people who are beneath me."
Carey felt a powerful urge to slap Portia, but managed to restrain herself. At the same time, Cody decided to speak up.
"Ladies, we have a show to finish here," he said. "And I'm not the topic of the show. But for the record...London, thank you for defending me. You too, Chelsea. And Portia, I'm not a loser and I'm not beneath you. But I'm not going to ask for an apology, let's just get back to the show."
"I will get back to the show when I feel like getting back to the show," Portia said angrily. "And I will be the one who says whether or not you're a loser."
"He is NOT a loser!" Carey yelled.
Unwilling to back down, Portia got in Carey's face and yelled back. "He is a inconsequential little nobody! A nerd! A loser! A guy who probably couldn't get a date even if he used an escort service! And I don't see why you're defending him!"
"Please stop fighting!" Chelsea pleaded.
Seeing that things were completely out of hand, Cody took control of the webcam and turned it away from the girls.
"And that concludes today's program," he said quickly into the microphone. "Please join us again next time." He knew it was a lame way to end the episode, but he didn't see any other option at this point.
But while the show may have been over, the fighting was not. Insults hurled back and forth until Carey told Portia to leave. After she was gone, Carey politely asked Chelsea to leave as well. The girl did so, but only after telling Carey that she was sorry things had gone badly, and telling Cody that she didn't think he was a loser.
Carey decided that she definitely liked Chelsea.
When she was finally alone with Cody, Carey told him that she was sorry he'd been insulted.
"It's not your fault," he replied. "And thanks again for standing up for me. Even though it's true."
"What's true?" Carey asked.
Cody shrugged glumly and sighed. "I am a loser."
To be continued...
author's note: Please comment.